


Safe

by PerriewinkleNerdie



Category: Open Heart (Visual Novel)
Genre: F/M, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-24
Updated: 2019-09-24
Packaged: 2020-10-27 10:28:05
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,425
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20758880
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PerriewinkleNerdie/pseuds/PerriewinkleNerdie
Summary: As last days of her residency were going by, their feelings got stronger every day





	Safe

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, hello, hello!  
This is fluff all around, sweet and all that jazz :D  
Enjoy! <3

Claire always loved bonfires. The warmth of the flames, the comfort of the company of friends around her, the familiarity of what she used to do with her family as a kid, it all brought a smile to her face. That’s why, when she heard that Ethan has _never_ been to one, she decided to show him what he’s been missing.

The ending of her third year of residency was fast approaching, interns were excited to become real doctors. All the while, Ethan and Claire were learning every day how to be in a relationship, their bond becoming stronger the longer they were together. He was never a man to do grand gestures and declarations of love, but Claire made him want to be affectionate. Her effect was strongly affecting him and if someone came up to him three years ago and told him what he would be like, he’d laugh in their face.

He loved hugging her. The warmth of her body, the way his arms could gather her whole closely in and keep her hidden, safe, the way her head fit right underneath his. How well he fit against her, when they were laying in bed and her arms are around him, her hand stroking his hair, his head on her chest, their voices quiet and calm as they talked about everything and nothing.

He loved kissing her. Before meeting her, he didn’t see the appeal, but again, she came into his life and converted him. Now, he couldn’t imagine his day without the feeling of her lips against his. Lazy kisses in the morning, when they were both still half-asleep, fighting the pull of the outside world. Impatient kisses, when they cannot keep their hand off of each other, stumbling over the furniture, falling onto the wall or bed. Gentle kisses to the forehead, cheek, nose, meant to be playful, bring comfort. Surprise kisses, when one of them doesn’t see it coming, pulling them away from their current task.

He loved making love to her. They both were not new to the idea, both had experience, but nothing could have prepared him for the feeling of being close with a person that he had feelings for. He has always seen sex as a way to release the pressure, to satisfy his needs, nothing else, nothing more. He never even stopped to think what it might be like when the emotions are added. His first time with Claire made him see stars. He’s been trying to control his wants and desires for so long, trying to convince himself that he couldn’t have her, that the moment he let himself go, he couldn’t stop if he tried. Since then, they were intimate countless of times. Slow, both gentle and hard sex that meant to show how much they valued each other, needed and loved each other. Intense sex, that left them breathless in a matter of seconds, torn between being sated and wanting more. Quick sessions meant to satisfy their urgent need to have one another. Long ones, where they could take their time, tease the other to the edge of insanity, over and over again, take care of each other like they deserve to be treated.

Their relationship has had a few bumps in the road. What would that relationship be if they weren’t arguing from time to time? He hated fighting with her, both of them were vulnerable and prone to being hurt, they both knew that. Usually, one of them would storm out of the room, just to give them both time to cool off, and taking into consideration their hot tempers, it was probably for the best. Once some time passed, they would sit down and have an adult conversation about the situation, trying to see the situation from both sides and make up. Later, at night, they would hold each other close, foreheads touching, eyes closed, relishing in each other’s company.

He just loved her. It took him a long time to admit it to her, and to himself. When the realization hit him, it hit him like a bag of bricks, falling onto his head. He wasn’t planning on telling her the way he did, he wanted it to be special. But, like most of the things in his life, it happened despite his plans and wishes. During a heated argument, hard hand gestures and raised voices. His mind slipped those three words onto his tongue sneakily, and before he could stop them, they ringed out in the room. _I love you._ Nothing was the same after that, and he didn’t want to go back to what used to be. He loved his present. He loved her.

They had a tradition, trying new things together. He introduced her to the theatre like it was supposed to be done, she took him to the flower’s field, just to simply lay there and stare at the sky. And now, she was dragging him to the bonfire, courtesy of all the interns. They wanted to celebrate the end of their residency and they all decided that bonfire would be a great idea. She gave him the option to back out if he didn’t want to do that, but he saw the happy sparkles of excitement in her eyes, and he couldn’t say no to her.

Claire told him to wear something comfortable and something that he could get dirty in and not feel bad about it. After all, they were going to the edge of the forest, they had to mindful of that fact. He chose to dress in dark clothes, his gray sweater swapped for a black one. She opted for a similar style, dark jeans and a navy sweater, hanging on her loosely. His brain stopped working for a second every time he saw her. His heart was beating faster, his eyes a little wider.

“You ready to go?” she moved closer to him, circling her arms around his neck, pulling him down for a soft kiss.

“Let’s go, Rookie.” Smiling teasingly, he kissed her again, his hands resting firmly on her hips.

“Rookie? I won’t a Rookie for very much long.”

“You’ll always be a Rookie, no matter how old you are or at what stage of your career you are. _My Rookie.”_ He whispered against her lips, then wrapped his arm around her and pulled her towards the door.

When they arrived, most of their colleagues were already there, talking and laughing, eating food and drinking. Claire pecked his cheek and left his side to talk to her friends. He watched her walking away, a shy smile on his lips.

Claire approached her roommates, ignoring their smirks and teasing looks. Standing between Sienna and Jackie, she reached for a cookie, eating it carefully while conversing with them.

“Last days of our residency! How are you feeling? Are there any major changes coming for you? Are you excited?” Elijah called out for her, looking at her curiously.

“We are about to become real doctors! How can I not be excited for that!”

“I don’t think that’s what he meant.” Jackie chipped into the conversation, bumping her hip against Claire’s.

“Any plans concerning a certain grumpy doctor…?” Sienna teased, her voice revealing how excited she was.

“Sienna! Oh my god!”

“What? I might be dating Danny, but that doesn’t mean that you are off the hook, I want all the details later.”

“I am _not_ telling you that.” Laughing, she pushed on her friend’s arm lightly.

Their conversation fell into a comfortable talk about the smallest things, their personal plans for the near future, their families that were supposed to visit them in the span of next few weeks. Claire was listening to her friends, chatting happily, carelessly, without a worry in the world. They had so little time to themselves, that to see all the people she cared about let go for a day was a real pleasure. Their patients were their priority, but they were all living for moments like these.

A pair of strong arms made her come back to reality, away from her thoughts. Ethan stood behind her, hugging her closely to him, her back to his chest, his chin on her shoulder. She turned her head to the side, facing him, and was just about to say something, when his lips caught hers, making it impossible for her to voice her thoughts. Breaking the kiss, he smiled at her, their eyes meeting in a silent conversation.

“Hey, lovebirds, get a room!” Zaid called out from the other side of the clearing, evidently pleased with himself.

“Are you jealous?” to everyone’s amusement and shock, Ethan shot back, without missing a beat, still staring at a woman in his arms, smirking at her surprised face.

“Dr. Ramsey! Was that cockiness that I just witnessed? Color me impressed!”

“We both know I am cocky, nothing new here.”

“You are right. What is new is the way you reacted. I don’t think I ever saw you so comfortable with people seeing us together out in the world.”

“It’s because I know you’re mine and I am so proud of you.” smiling softly, he pulled her in for another kiss, before turning them both back towards her friends, falling back into an easy conversation.

The day was flowing slowly, filled with laughter and talking. It faded into the night, the sky taking on all the colors from light blue to the orange and pink, purple, so it could finally fade into the navy, stars sparkling on the dark canvas. Sienna, seemingly out of nowhere, pulled out a guitar, sitting by the fire, playing soft tunes, flowing through the air. Elijah started singing softly, Jackie joining in, the words piercing through the night.

Ethan pulled Claire to him by her hand, gathering her in his arms. She wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling them closer together. They started swaying to the music, looking into each other’s eyes. Ethan felt more in love with her than ever, the way her eyes sparkled, reflecting the lights of the flames. He pulled her to him, almost despite himself, pressing his lips to hers for what seemed to be an eternity, though neither of them noticed. His hand moved to her cheek, stroking her skin delicately and tenderly. Claire smiled against him, relishing in the feeling of having him close. His lips never tasted so sweet and his touch never felt so soft. Leaning back, he moved his head the side of hers, pressing his lips to her ear.

“I love you.” he whispered, pouring everything into his words.

“I love you too.” She whispered back, stroking his cheek with the back of her finger.

They danced for a few more songs, taking their time, exchanging slow kisses and whispering, their foreheads touching, eyes locked. Later, everyone settled around the fire, the air becoming a little colder, the flames providing the much need warmth. There were blankets on the ground, people were sitting closely together. All except for two.

Claire was sitting on a separate blanket, her back against the tree, her legs straight in front of her, spread a little to make space for Ethan, who was practically sitting in her lap. Well, to say that he was sitting would not be enough. He was laying down, his back against her chest, his head against her shoulder. She had her arms around his neck, over his shoulders, hugging him slightly, leaving small kisses in his hair from time to time. That’s how they spent most of the evening. His hands were either holding hers or running up and down her legs.

Hours later, when the night was dark, the sky was black as ink, and the air was cold, a still large group of people were still gathered by the fire, exchanging stories from their past, sharing their hopes and dreams for the years ahead of them.

“Hey, Herondale!” Zaid called out for her. She turned her head towards him lazily, tearing her eyes from Ethan for a moment.

“What is it?”

“Is it urgent? You’re interrupting a very interesting conversation here.” Ethan joined in, smirking at his friend.

“Varma needs some help over there. Would you mind helping her?”

“Um, sure. Ethan, can you move for a second? I need to stand up.” she put her hands on his shoulders to help him up. He wasn’t so fond of the idea, though, because he caught her hands in his and pulled them forward, hugging her to his form.

“No way. I’m not moving, you lap is too comfortable.” He said with a sneaky smile, resting his head against her again.

“I’ll go, don’t worry about it.” Bryce stood up and went to join Jackie by the side of the clearing.

Claire leaned forward a little, moving her hands to his hair, running her fingers through it, kissing his forehead. Ethan closed his eyes, taking a deep breath, her scent reaching his senses again, making him feel comfortable, as it reminded him of his home, where she was a constant. Claire could feel the eyes of people on them, looking amused at the lovestruck state the two of them were in.

“Ethan…”

“Stop.”

“Stop what?” she laughed at his interruption.

“Your cuteness is making everybody stare. Stop it.”

“I just can’t help it, I was born this way.” She ruffled his hair a little, keeping her eyes on him.

“I know, you cannot gain that amount of beauty, it must be in your genes.” He said quietly, turning in her arms to his side, his arms around her mid-section, his head on her stomach.

“Ethan, are you okay?” she has seen him being affectionate, but never to this extent and not in front of all their colleagues.

“I’m tired. Can you, please, just cuddle me?” his lips were against the fabric of her shirt, muffled and difficult to understand for the most part. She leaned down, pressing her lips to his cheek tenderly before wrapping one arm around him, squeezing him closer to her. They spent a few minutes in that position. Others have started to depart slowly, saying goodbye. Claire leaned in to kiss his ear before speaking.

“Do you want me to drive you home?” she ran her fingers through his hair again, a small movement that made his eyes fall closed again.

“Will you stay with me?”

“Yes.”

“Can you say that?” a sliver of insecurity and hope was laced into his voice.

“Yes. I will stay with you.”


End file.
